Thun Tankers Orders NAABSA Product Tanker

Swedish shipping company Thun Tankers BV has placed an order for a 4,250 dwt product tanker at Dutch Ferus Smit shipyard.

Scheduled for delivery in October 2020, the ship will enter into a long term agreement with the UK-based Geos Group.

As informed, the vessel will feature a “Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground” (NAABSA) design, being able to call tidally restricted niche ports.

With a capacity of 4,800 cbm, the newbuild will have a length of 79.9 meters and a width of 15 meters.

Specifically, the focus has been to maximize the vessel’s cargo intake and increase in-port performance, with the scope to allow further increased cargo lot sizes going into restricted niche ports. Resource efficiency, new regulations and environmental care have been key in the development of the new vessel, according to Thun Tankers.

“We have identified the demand for improved niche size tankers with increased performance and cargo capacity. This NAABSA-Max tanker will be built to the absolutely latest design, enabling Geos Group Ltd. and their clients’ access to the most efficient transport solution available in this size of shipments,” Joakim Lund, CCO of Thun Tankers BV, commented.

“The NAABSA vessel being built by Thun Tankers for our own requirements will help strengthen our N.W.E physical market position. The new vessel will allow us to focus on enhancing our position … in our market by bringing in additional ship to ship capability as well as the option of supplying more niche ports,” Barry Newton, Managing Director of Geos Group, said.

Being a Gothia Tanker Alliance member and part of the Erik Thun Group, Thun Tankers commercially operates sixteen tankers with a deadweight tonnage of 6,500 to 8,000 dwt and has eleven newbuilds.